Leaf-holder



(No Model.)

P; J. RIVERS.

LEAF HOLDER. I

No. 353,072. Patented Feb. 22 1887.

- I. mas. PholuLilhognd-n wummo n c lJNrrE STATES PATENT I OF ICE.

PHILLIP J. RIVER-S, OF BRIDGEPORT, COL NEOTIOUT.

LEAF=HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,072, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed Septemhcr18,188fi. Serial No.l213,86l. (No model.)

To all whom it iii/(Ly concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILLIP J. RIVERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LeatHolders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a light, simple, and inexpensive device for holding the leaves of open books, it being essential in this class of devices that they shall be simple in construction, so that they may be produced at very slight expense, light and compact, so that they may be easily carried about, easy to apply and to operate, and not likely to break or to get out of repair.

With these ends in view I have devised the novel leaf-holder of which the following description, in connection with the accompany ing drawings, is a specification, numbers be ing used to indicate the several parts of the device.

Figurel is a plan view of an open book, illustrating my novel leafholder in use, and Fig. 2 a cross-section on the line a; a".

My invention is comprised of six parts only, three being made of sheet metal and three of wire.

1 denotes a supportingstrip, the opposite ends of which are bent at right angles thereto, forming lugs or cars 2, and 3 is a cross-brace extending longitudinally of the device parallel with the supportingstrip, and riveted at both ends to the lugs or cars.

4 denotes springclamps, which are placed at each end of the supporting'strip. These clamps are made from a single pieceof spring are curved over and outward from the lugs, as is clearly shown, and are preferably provided at their outer ends with pads 6, of rub .the book, as is clearly shown.

her or leather, which rest upon the leaves of the book. In order to add to the elasticity of these arms, I provide pieces of wire considerably longer than the arms themselves, coiling the inner ends of the pieces around brace 3, the coil extending from just within the lugs sufficient distance inward to give the desired elasticity to the arms. The ends 7 of thewire are then passed through holes in the supporting-strip, and are riveted firmly thereto, thus holding the arms firmlyin place, and also bracing and strengthening the entire device.

I have found in practice that my improved leaf-holder will work equally well upon large or small books, and although the pressure of the spring-arms is very light upon the leaves, they will hold them firmly in place. As it is quite often, however, more convenient to hold the leaves upon one side only of the book, I have provided inwardly-turned stumps or projections 8 upon each of the lugs, so that when it is desired to hold either of the springarms out of engagement with the leaves of the book the arm may be lifted back and caught behind the corresponding stump, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, thus holding the arm entirely out of the way.

The device is applied in use by simply passing the clamps over the opposite covers of When it is desired to use it upon books not having stiff covers,a number of leaves may be engaged by each clamp with precisely the same result. When it is desired to hold down the leaves upon both sides ofthe book,both of the springarms are released and the pads are allowed to rest on the leaves. If it is desired to hold the leaves upon one side only, the opposite arm is lifted up out of the way and placed in engagement with the corresponding stump or projection.

It will of course be apparent that the details of construction may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. A leaf-holder consisting, essentially, of a supporting-strip having lugs turned at right angles thereto, a cross-brace riveted to said lugs, clamps riveted at the end of the supportadapted to engage the stumps, whereby they ing-strip, and spring-arms whose inner ends may be held out of operative position. 10

are coiled around the brace and are riveted to In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the supporting-strip. presence of two witnesses.

2. The supporting-strip having lugs turned PHILLIP J. RIVERS. at right angles thereto, and stumps 8 project \Vitnesses: ing inward from said lugs, in combination with A. M. VVoosrER, clamps 4, cross-brace 3, and spring-arms 5, O. E. RUGGLES. 

